


Seeking comfort

by Daydreamisallihave



Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Sharing a Bath, Sharing a Bed, just writing a fantasy i had in my head, kastle - Freeform, probably ooc but i tried my best
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-02-13 17:55:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12989406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daydreamisallihave/pseuds/Daydreamisallihave
Summary: This is a canon divergent fic set after the elevator scene. Instead of going back to the basement, Frank goes to Karen.





	Seeking comfort

**Author's Note:**

> I've been shipping Kastle since Daredevil and now with the Punisher it felt like my heart was going to explode every time they were together. I hadn't felt like writing fics in so, so long, but Kastle makes me want to do it again.
> 
> After watching the elevator scene as the last interaction between Frank and Karen, I started fantasizing about what could have happened if they had met again just after it, seeking comfort in each other.  
> Also, after seeing Billy bathing Madani, I really wanted to put this two together in a bathtub.  
> So this happened.
> 
> I'm aware it's impossible that something like this would have happened, also I'm afraid I still don't know the characters well enough to give them justice, and I fear they might be ooc, but I really wanted to write something like this.  
> Also, I'm not really a good writer, I mostly write for my own pleasure, and English is not my first language so I apologize for any mistakes.
> 
> I hope any of you can find some enjoyment in this fantasy of mine.
> 
> And If you don't like this, please be kind.

Karen actually let out a sigh of relief when she saw Frank was really waiting at the address he had given her when leaving through the elevator.  A few hours had passed since then.  Karen had endured the interviews with the police and then had even allowed them to take her home in a police car, all proper, for her own security.

As soon as she was sure there was no police watching her, Karen had taken a taxi to meet with Frank again. Considering the state in which she had left him, she couldn't wait to see him. She was worried he was just bleeding out somewhere.

At first, Karen had been worried the police was going to be watching her, they suspected she had some kind of relationship with the Punisher. But either they didn't have enough evidence or they had better things to do, after she had politely refused their offer of protection, they had left her alone.

She had tried to take precautions anyway, suiting herself with a hat and a big scarf and taking a taxi a few blocks away from her flat, instead of taking her car. The last thing she wanted was to bring the police down to Frank.

She walked quickly towards him, ignoring everything and everyone that surrounded them. Frank didn't seem to have seen her. He still looked like shit, the only difference was that he had a blanket over him. He looked miserable and Karen's heart tightened at the sight. He seemed to have that effect on her lately.

"Ey," she greeted softly.

Frank looked up at her, although he didn't really seem to see her, muttering an 'ey' of his own.

"You okay?" Karen reached a hand out towards him but stopped before touching him.

"You shouldn't be here." Was his only reply.

"Then why did you tell me where you were going to be?" She retorted.

Frank just mumbled and shrugged, as if he didn't know the answer. He didn't. The only thing Frank knew was that back in that elevator he hadn't wanted to leave her, even though they were surrounded by police. And when she had told him to go, he had ended muttering her the place where he was going, where he had left the van parked.

He hadn't waited for her on purpose, and he knew he should have taken the van and drive away as soon as he had reached it, but he had couldn't bring himself to do it. He had needed a moment to reflect on what had happened, and somehow that moment had turned into hours.

Billy Russo, his friend, whom he loved as a brother, had shot to his head. How could that be real. Why would he do something like that. He had heard what Madani had shouted to Billy, although back then his head was a buzz of pain, and for what he was putting together Billy seemed to be in deep shit. Shit enough to be one of the people working in the drug operation of Kandahar. Shit enough to even mean he had been involved in the murder of Frank's family. It was surreal. It couldn't be.

Frank loved him, his family had loved him, and Billy had loved them back. Had he been pretending? Had all been lies? It hadn't seemed like that, it had seemed real.

At any rate, Billy had shot to kill, and the betrayal hurt. Frank had thought it would make it mad with rage, it would fuel him...but right now, it just seemed to be draining it, taking away his strength. It just felt like having a hole in his chest.

He must had gotten lost in thought again because Karen's hands on his shoulders startled him. He wanted to push her away, to tell her to leave and never come near him because he would manage to get her hurt like everything else he had loved. But that mustn't had been what he really wanted because instead of that he found himself leaning towards her. Karen held him close, resting her head on top of his own carefully.

It was warm and comforting. He didn't deserve it.

Frank pulled away. "This was a mistake. You have to go, Karen."

"Yes, like I'm leaving you here, still bleeding and looking like this." She replied, and Frank almost smiled.

That woman. No matter the danger, she was always sticking with him. Even with a god damn bomb about to blow up, Karen hadn't left him. Somehow Frank knew he could trust her, she wouldn't ever betray him. He had thought the same of Billy, though. The thought made him wince, it was like a damn bullet in his heart.

"Frank, come on, you have to get yourself patched up, you are a mess." Karen seemed to have mistaken his grim for physical pain. Truth was, Frank hadn't really fully registered the pain on his body yet, his mind was still somewhere else. "You have somewhere to go, don't you?"

She sounded very concerned and Frank really looked at her for the first time. "Yeah, yeah, of course I have..." He didn't feel like going back to David's basement, though. He had betrayed him too, going to Madani without counting on him.

Frank was aware David had done it with his best intention, trying to protect his family, but still...Billy's betrayal stung too deep for Frank to want to see David right now.

"You are still bleeding too." Frank pointed at Karen's forehead, stopping his hands that seemed to want to wip away the blood.

"What?" Karen touched her forehead and realized he was right. She hadn't bothered with cleaning her wounds in her rush to see Frank. "Oh, it's nothing...just, just a scratch..."

"A scratch made by a bomb going off."

Frank sounded tired and more done than Karen had ever heard him.

"You are right. I should take care of it but you too. Come on." She extended her hands to help him get up and Frank took them but he didn't move. "We can go to my place, okay?"

Frank pulled away. "That's dangerous Karen and you know it." He growled lowly.

"There's no police around, I made sure." She assured him. "And the bad guy is dead, it's okay, come on." She tried to sound alright, but she didn't think she managed to do it."

"I don't care about the police." Frank retorted. "And the bad guys are alive, actual bad guys, not kids. I'm not leading them towards you. I'm not getting you hurt."

"You realize you have actually saved my life, don't you Frank?" Karen was done with him blaming himself for every bad shit that happened. "Pretty sure I'm safer with you than alone. Come on, Frank, for my peace of mind, let's get yourself patched up. Please."

Was it true? Did she felt safer with him around? She shouldn't. But still, it made him feel warm inside. And she was looking at him with those worried eyes, as if he were actually worthy of her worry. Frank knew he should make her go away and stay away from him. But he didn't want to. And at the end, he couldn't.

"Okay, okay. Let's go." Frank slowly got up, wincing as he felt the pain running through his body. Karen was right, he was a mess. "I'll drop you home."

Karen hooked her arm with his as he led her to the van, making him feel warm inside again in a way Frank hadn't felt in so long. It even sooth the pain a bit somehow.

"You sure you don't want a doctor to check on you," he asked as he started the van.

"Right now all I want is to go home and sleep for maybe ten years or so."

And so Frank drove them there.

"Come with me." Karen began again once he parked the van, a few streets away from hers, just in case. "What I told you it's true, if you are right and someone may come after me, I couldn't be safer than with you by my side, honestly."

Frank wanted to believe it was true. Just hearing Karen talk like that was making him feel all sort of things. He wanted to pull her closer and never let her go. He would kill anybody who dared to go against her. Still, he was sure his presence would do her more harm than good.

"Besides, I would feel much better if I could make sure you are alight, because you seemed kind of off and it's starting to scare me." Karen had intended it as a joke but has ended up sounding as worried as she was actually feeling. She would have never guessed she would miss the raged up Frank, but he seemed just so, so miserable, her heart was breaking. "So, please, come with me."

It was oh, so tempting. And Frank didn't want to go back to David´s, not yet, not after Madani. Not after Billy. He knew he would end up arguing with David and projecting his rage against Billy on him, and no.

"Okay, okay." He conceded. The smile that cared gave him made him smile back to her somehow, even if he was feeling worse than shit.

Once at her place, Frank couldn't help but feel awkward,  just like the last time, like he was invading her space. But she didn't seem to mind it, quite the opposite actually, she had been the one asking him to come after all.

Frank followed her to the bathroom and let down on the counter the aid-kit he had taken from the van and a bag of clothes. His were ruined, and going around in ripped, bloodstained clothes wasn't going to help him to go unnoticed when he left.

He took some gauze and poured disinfectant on it, but when he carefully dabbed at Karen's forehead cut with it, she chuckled.

"Really Frank? You have a piece of metal sticking out your arm and that horrible looking cut on your head, and the first thing you are going to do is clean my tiny cut?"

Frank just ignored her and kept working on her wound, and she let him do. It felt nice, having someone taking care of her like that, and when he shushed her gently when she winced at the sting of the disinfectant it felt like her heart was going to explode. She didn't think anyone would expect the Punisher to be like this, but Karen was sure this wasn't a side of Frank that many people got to see. She was so glad he showed it to her.

"I hope this is enough." He murmured as he patched her up with butterfly stitches. "Real stitches would leave you with a scar. I don't think you need them, though."

"It's okay, Frank, thank you. Now, if we could go back to the metal on your arm..." Karen didn't know how he could seem so calm about it. She guessed he was used to stuff like that. It was a horrible thought.

"Yeah." Frank began to awkwardly try to pull his shirt off one armed, without disturbing the wound, finally resorting to trying to tore it off.

Karen sighed and shook her head at him, hadn't he realized she was there to help him?

"Come here, you idiot." She murmured as she helped him take his shirt off. And Frank should probably not be feeling what he was feeling at the sight of Karen taking off his shirt and her hands on his bare skin, but there he was.

 "Now, about the wound..." Karen began saying, but before she could react, Frank took a deep breath and with a grunt he yanked the metal off his arm, dropping it on the sink and squirting blood.

"What the hell, are you insane Frank?!" She yelled. Karen knew he had to remove the metal from his arm, but doing it like that? She wanted to punch him for always being so harsh to himself and also to kiss him better. A feeling that somehow Frank Castle seemed to give her more often than not.

"It's alright, Karen." Frank said, placing a gauzed drenched in alcohol over the bleeding wound, and sounding calmer than anyone had the right to be in his state.

Frank took thread and needle and began trying to stitch his wound, even though the angle was kind of difficult.

"Do you want me to help you with that?" Karen asked.  She had never stitched someone up, but she wanted to help.

"Okay, thank you, Karen." He positioned himself in a way that would help her.

"Just so you know it, I've never done this." Frank had already done the first stitch and Karen tried to carefully continue it, as neatly as she could.

"It's okay. You are fine." Frank softly encouraged her. When he winced at the pain, it seemed it hurt Karen too, so he tried to keep it at minimum.

"This is going to leave the ugliest scar ever, sorry." Karen complained once she was done.

"No big, I have plenty of that." Frank shrugged.

"I can see that." Karen murmured, running her fingers through one of them. I made Frank's pulse speed up. "I'm going to try to stitch the one on your head too, okay?"

"Yes, thank you." Frank replied, trying to ignore the way in which Karen's hands over him made him feel.

He sat down and almost smiled at Karen's focused face. Once she began sewing he couldn't help but wince at the pain, damned were Billy Russo.

"Done." Karen sounded relieved. "Now, do you mind telling me how did you get it?"

"A bullet grazed me." Frank replied reluctantly.

"Goddamnit, Frank." Karen murmured, holding him close and placing a kiss next to his wound without thinking it twice.

Frank knew it was impossible but the kiss seemed to take some of the pain away, and at the very least it made him feel warm inside. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his forehead against hers. He knew he didn't deserve this, her, but he wanted to enjoy it as if he did, even if just for a moment.

Eventually, Karen pulled away. She took a wet towel and began cleaning the blood off Frank's face. "You look like a murder scene."

"Kind of my life." Frank retorted with half a smile.

Karen shook her head but smiled back.

"You know what..." Karen murmured, dropping the towel on the sink.

She walked to her bathtub, an old big thing she never had time to use. She put the plug on and ran the hot water.

"What are you doing?" Frank questioned.

"What do you think? Running a bath." Karen replied nonchalantly. "Best way to make sure you are all clean up,  besides you look like you need one."

"What? I don't need a bath, Karen." Frank protested, confused and awkward. "I'm fine,  this is not necessary."

"Well, I do need one." Karen shrugged.

"Oh." Was his only reply, not sure of if what she was implying what was he was thinking.

Karen poured some soap into the water, making it nice and bubbly, and once the tub was full enough, she began unbuttoning her shirt.

She looked at Frank, but he wasn't moving. Maybe she had misunderstood the way he used to look at her?

"Are you okay with this?" She asked timidly, afraid she was overstepping.

"Yeah, yeah, fuck of course I am." Frank babbled, a bit dumbfounded. He liked Karen, he had liked her for a while now, but he hadn't imagined she would ever return his feeling. Yet there she was, undressing in front of him. It was hypnotizing. He wanted to go to her and hold her, smooth his hand over his skin, but he stopped himself. He wanted it to be her who initiated whatever she wanted, didn't want to impose himself.

"Okay." Karen smiled and took her shirt away. She had wanted to appear confident, but Frank's gaze was fixed on her in a way that made her blush. Her skirt came undone next and finally her underwear, shyness away.

"Goddamn, Ms.Page" She heard Frank say softly.

Karen chuckled and after pinning up her hair she got into the tub, letting out a happy sigh as she lowered herself into the warm water. That was nice. Would be nicer once Frank was in there too. "What are you waiting for, come here."

"Yes, ma'am." Frank got off his trousers and briefs as fast as possible and got into the tub.  Karen smiled at him and he couldn't take his eyes off her. He hadn't even dreamed he'd end up sharing a warm bath with Karen gorgeous Page but there he was.

Karen had always thought that big tub was just a waste of space in her bathroom but right now she couldn't be more grateful. One the blood was starting to wash off his body, he didn't seem as beaten up as she had feared. Considering what he was gone through, it was amazing.

She had to thank him for her all wellness too, a bomb had gone off next to her and thanks to Frank it had only left her with a cut on her forehead. And he had taken a bullet for her too.

"Turn around, let me wash the blood off your head, it's drying out." She said as she took the shower head and turned on the water.

Frank obeyed silently, trying not to bump her and he tilted up his head for her. He hummed when she poured water over him. Gently, she ran his fingers through his short hair and scalp, washing the blood.

She was careful when cleaning the area around his tender head wound, dabbing at it gently with a sponge. "Tell me if I hurt you." She murmured.

"Hurt me? The only thing you have to worry about is me falling asleep on you." Frank replied, closing his eyes. 

It felt nice, so nice. Not just having Karen naked pressed against him, her hands on him, but the intimacy. The feeling of someone taking care of him. Frank had almost forgotten how it was. Karen made him feel things he hadn't thought he could ever feel again. Even if just for a moment, he wanted to enjoy this, enjoy being close to her.

Eventually, Karen let go of the sponge and just wrapped her arms around Frank, holding him close and resting her head against his. They stayed like that, neither of them saying a word or moving, just enjoying each other company, until the water began to cool around them.

"We should get out before we freeze." Karen said finally.

Reluctantly, Frank moved away from her and out of the tub. He helped her out too, and wrapped her in what seemed to be her bathrobe.  His hands hovered over her and she looked at her in a way that made Karen think he was going to kiss her, but he didn't. She was disappointed.

"Thank you." She said while tossing him a towel. She watched as he toweled himself dry and dressed. She was worried he might want to leave now, Karen didn't want to watch it go again, at least not for today. "Frank, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure." Frank nodded.

"Could you heat up some coffee for us? There still some left in the pot from this morning." She didn't wait for him to answer, leaving the bathroom towards her room.

Frank knew that he really should be going. He had spent too much time there already. But he couldn't help himself, he wanted to be with Karen and he was tired of forcing himself to be away from her.

He read Micro's texts while he waited for the coffee to heat up. They varied from mild concern to frantic. He texted him a short answer. Was still angry with him.

Karen emerged from her room, her hair down again and wearing what seemed pajama pants and a slightly too big sweater. It was the first time Frank saw her wearing something that weren't those blouses and skirts she wore while working. She looked stunning as always, but also cozy, and all he wanted to do was to hold her close again.

She took the only mug she had in the cupboard, poured some coffee on it and offered it to Frank. Then she washed another mug that was on the sink and poured some coffee for herself.

"I don't have much crockery." She explained, even though Frank hadn't questioned anything. "It's not like I have people coming to visit, so it seemed stupid to have a lot of stuff just for myself..."

"You should get yourself a dog." The serious way in which Frank said it made Karen laugh.

"I might, if I didn't spend so many hours away working." She replied, taking Frank's hand on hers and leading him to the sofa. She placed her mug on the table and was about to sit down, but stopped when he saw Frank wasn't following her.

"Karen, I should leave." He said, although he sounded reluctant. "I told you, it's dangerous for you to be with me."

Karen let out a sigh. "If you want to leave, leave, I'm not stopping you. And I know you have serious things to do and I understand it. But don't you dare to say you put me in danger, I'm alive because of you. So stop it." She bit her lip. "I don't want you to disappear again, not knowing when I'll see you again."

"I'm not going to disappear, Karen." Frank replied softly. He left his mug on the table, next to Karen's. His hands moved to her arms almost on their own accord, mostly to just gently caress her rather than to hold her. "But I have things to do...Everything is even more complicated than I had thought..." But he didn't have a plan, not yet, he didn't know what to do next. Didn't really want to deal with everything yet.

"I know, Frank. But can't it wait for a few hours? You have to rest if you want to function and chase bad guys, right?" Karen smiled, encouraged by the way Frank was looking at her. Even if he ended up leaving right now, he had said he wasn't going to disappear from her life, and that was enough.

"Yeah, alright." He conceded. He was staring at her lips again and Karen was tired of waiting for it. She leaned closer and caught his lips with hers.

Frank seemed to murmur something against her lips but kissed her back, cupping her face with his hands.

"You don't know how long I've been wanting to do this." Karen murmured when their lips parted.

"Neither do you." Frank retorted before kissing her again, he had waited too long.

Karen pushed him until he was sat down on the sofa.  He was looking at her again in that way that sent butterflies to her belly. She sat down next to him, arranging herself to be half seated on his lap. "Then I don't know why we didn't do it earlier."

"I didn't want you getting involved with me, too dangerous." Frank replied, running a hand through her hair. He was still sure it was dangerous for Karen to be close to him, but it seemed to be impossible for them to stop gravitating to each other. "And I wasn't sure you were feeling like this too" He added, quietly.

He couldn't still really believe it, that Karen Page could really feel like this for him. But looking back, she had always cared for him, even at the beginning. He was more grateful for her than he could express, so he just kissed her again.

"Yes, getting into a tub naked with you was really subtle." Karen teased, running her fingers gently over his cheek.

"I mean before that." Frank replied, leaning into her touch.

"I know. To be honest, neither I was sure if you were feeling like I did. I didn't know if you might want something like this, after, well...you know..." Karen trailed off, not sure of how to put her thoughts into words, something that didn't usually happen to her. But Frank seemed to understand.

He nodded and rested his forehead against hers. It seemed like he could draw strength from her with that. Anyhow, it was a gesture that Karen loved.

"Ey, Frank...you really looked miserable before, on the street. Maybe you would tell me what happened?" Karen asked softly after a moment of quiet.

Frank just let out a noncommittal murmur and hid his face in her neck

It was okay, she was half expecting he wouldn't reply. She wasn't going to pressure him if he needed time to process whatever it was. And she was certainly not going to complain of having Frank nosing at her neck.

"Billy Russo happened."Frank answered eventually, his face still hid on her neck." We served together, he was one of my best friends. He used to hang around with my family, we loved him."

"I suspected you knew each other...didn't know you were that close, tho..." Karen said.  She had only interacted with Billy briefly, but he had seemed pleasant enough.

"He was the one who shot to my head. He tried to kill me, Karen. He was like a brother and now I think he might have even been involved in the murder of my family." Frank looked at her and those puppy eyes he sometimes gave her were so full of hurt that Karen thought her own hearth might break.

"Shit, Frank...I...I'm sorry." He had looked miserable with reason, it was devastating. Karen didn't even know what to say. She was sure it was impossible to ease his pain. After all, he had gone through and now this. It wasn't fair

 "I will kill him, you know I will." Frank said and Karen nodded. She didn't doubt it. "But I think I ought to feel more anger...like...I feel it but it feels empty? I don't know." Frank shrugged and looked away, uncomfortable.  Rage built in his stomach when he thought about Billy but also it was like someone were stabbing him. And it still felt not totally real. That wasn't the Billy he remembered, the friend he had loved. But he had to accept it, that man was gone. Maybe he even had never existed. But god, it hurt. He had never imagined any of his old friends could do something like that.

"Betrayal is always worse when it comes from our friends." Karen said quietly, kissing Frank's forehead. She wanted to comfort him but she was at a loss for words.

Frank didn't seem to mind. He just ran a hand through her hair as he let out a sigh. In truth, he found enough comfort in having Karen holding him, and he knew how she cared. He too couldn't find the words to express how grateful he was for her.

Frank kissed Karen's lips softly but when he was going to pull back Karen's hands were on his neck and she caught his lips again.

"Everything is going to be okay." Karen murmured against his lips. Frank nodded. It didn't matter if they believed it or not.

"I'll think about what to do in the morning." Frank glanced at the clock on the wall and realized said morning was just a few hours away. "You should get some sleep, Karen, you had a long day. And with all the shit that went on today, chances are tomorrow will be long too."

"Look who's talking." Karen chuckled. "But you are right." With a last peck to his lips, she got up and took his hands to help him up too. "Let's get some rest."

Frank was happy to oblige and he followed to her bedroom and into her bed. He rested his head on Karen's chest as she held him close, humming softly when he kissed the top of his head, feeling more contented he had thought was possible.

It has been a long, long while since he had shared a bed with someone he loved, holding each other, and he fully intended to enjoy it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this, I hope it was enjoyable enough.
> 
> Also, I'm not really into writing sex, but if you want to imagine they made love that night, I'm totally on board with it.
> 
> I love this two.


End file.
